Tower Hill Botanic Garden

The daffodils were dripping in my own garden when I left for Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. It was the weekend of the Daffodil Show and the Primrose Show. I got to walk the long border of the Systematic Garden holding all 11 classes of daffodils, more properly known as narcissus. The Systematic Garden has numerous other beds laid out to hold varieties of one type of plant. Then it was down the steps to the Daffodil Field with literally thousands and thousands of daffodils in full bloom The air was cool and misty. Perfect daffodil weather. Inside, where it was warm and dry perfect daffodil blooms were being judged in their own classes, but it was the experience of the abundance that was moving.

Primroses were also being judged and this P. elatior, otherwise known as the Oxslip primrose, was waiting its turn. There were many beautiful primroses in shades of yellow and purple and pink. Many different forms, but all singing of spring. I couldn't find any outdoors, but I did buy a tiny yellow auricula for my own garden. I have just the space.

Heath Weather

The daffodils are in full bloom and the three and a half inches of rain we got over Monday and Tuesday have given the grass a jolt, and everything else. The forsythia is blooming which means I should be planting potatoes, but it is cold outside. It is snowing outside! Not a lot, but enough to keep me by the fireside.

I should have known it wasn't spring quite yet. We don't have a single dandelion in the lawn. It almost resembles fine turf. From a distance.

Garden Extension

With my new camera in hand I finally went out to document the building of a new garden extension. The vegetable garden had been moved because of an apparent change in the water table and became too wet. It also had to become smaller because of a bad hip.

Now that the hip is new and well healed, it is time to add to the small garden. Last year we added raspberries (just to the right) and now more vegetables. Using the new technique of 'lasagna gardening, I spread manure and bedding fresh out of the chicken house right on top of the sod, at least four inches worth. I moved about 15 wheelbarrow loads, but who's counting This manure was given a good watering.

The manure was then covered with large sheets of cardboard, with lots of overlap between new pieces. The Transfer Station was happy to offload the cardboard. The cardboard was then well watered.


This year I have a 'yard man', 18 year old Justin who took on the job of moving another 15 loads of loam and compost to cover the wet cardboard.


No more watering was necessary. As soon as this was spread, the rains started. The rain was welcome and we've had 3 inches so far - and still counting. Saga of the lasagna bed will continue.

Earth Day 2008

I celebrated Earth Day by finally starting to plant the vegetable garden. No photos yet, but a new camera to replace the one that died is in the works. Peas! Lettuce! Broccoli! I don't start seeds indoors anymore and I'm happy to support my local garden center so in additon to sugar snap pea, lettuce and radish seeds, I also planted 6 Red Sails and 6 Packman seedlings to encourage the garden - and give me an earlier harvest.

Of course, as the snow melted, I was able to do a little work. In addition to cultivating the old vegetable garden which is now in pretty good shape, we are experimenting with Eric
Toensmeier's system of sheet mulching to start a new garden space without tilling. I moved about 12 wheelbarrow loads of uncomposted chicken manure and spread it on the new space, right on top of the sod. Then we watered it deeply, the manure and the soil. Then we covered the manure with large sheets of cardboard we got from our recycling center, Making sure there was good overlap between pieces.

After watering the cardboard so that it was soaked we covered the whole thing with plastic. The plastic isn't part of Eric's technique, but I didn't have soil or sufficient compost (until today) to cover the whole area of cardboard which can dry out very fast. It is keeping everything moist, and it has been so hot the last couple of days that I think the plastic is helping that manure cook and rot faster than it might.

I'll be planting large vegetables like squash in this new experimental bed, mulching between plants in my usual way with newspapers as well as cardboard covered with straw and grass clippings. I'll keep you posted.

Bloom Day

I've been waiting for this cyclamen to bloom for months now. It doesn't look like much and it is obvious that I have a lot to learn about getting gift plants, even those as hardy as a cyclamen, to bloom again. I do love cyclamen and when ever I fail with a potted plant I remind myself that it cost less than a bouquet of cut flowers from the florist, and gave me weeks and weks of pleasure.

An unexpected blossom on an ungainly orchid cactus which I haven't been paying much attention to, although I do water it from time to time. The plant is sitting on an old kitchen step stool, painted black, and this long leaf is nearly down on the floor. There is no way to take a picture of the whole plant and get any idea of the magnificence of the open bloom and the promising bud. It sits in our bright living room, but not in the window. In the summer it sits out on the piazza, right in front of our south facing house, under the shade of the wisteria on a sheltering arbor.

Finally, blooms outside too. These snow drops are growing under an apple tree. The vegetable garden and raspberry patch are just to the west - both still covered with snow. Maybe it will disappear in another day or two. We had snow flurries on Sunday. Fortunately, not the kind of snow that accumulated. It has been a very long winter.

I am beginning to see shoots elsewhere in the garden. Daylilies, Siberian iris, and daffodils. Hallelujah!

I want to give credit to the abutilon. Still blooming. See posts for January and February.

Spring is coming!

I refuse to show any more pictures of snow. I have carefully arranged this shot of fattening lilac buds to avoid any hints of the snow that still covers lots of ground. These buds on my ancient white and nameless lilacs are encouraging and I am looking forward to seeing what my newer lilacs will do this spring. I planted the pink Miss Canada about three years ago and she blooms nicely, but hasn't grown into anything substantial.

Last year, I planted the Beauty of Moscow so this will be the first time she'll bloom for me. I hope there are a couple of blooms anyway. The bush was a good size. I can't wait for the fragrance of spring.

Green at Last!

Some people have been showing off their crocuses, but mine are still buried under snow along with the snowdrops and scillas. The only crocus I can boast of is this autumn crocus which will only have leaves until the summer. In midsummer the leaves will wither and die. This is the time they should be divided or moved, but I never remember to do this. In the fall, flowers grow right out of the ground, needed no stem, and they glow a tender amythyst in the sun.

Our house faces south and the first plants to welcome spring are in my herb garden - along with the autumn crocuses that were planted there for no good reason. Sweet cicely, with its fine ferny leaves and anise flavor can be used in cooking, or tossed in a salad. After it has set seed, which it does fairly early in the summer, it looses its fresh fragility, but the seeds are flavorful, tasting of licorice. According to an herb book it is difficult to start from seed, but my experience is that little plants come up near by with no effort on my part.

I use sage quite a lot and any plant I put in this garden does very well, until winter comes. This was a large plant in the fall, but most of it was winter killed. Only this one branch seems to have come through unscathed. Upon full recovery I should have all the sage I need.

I have bee balm in two colors and you'd think I could remember which is which. Not so. This is unfortunate because it increases prolifically and I have plenty to share at plant sales and exchanges, but I have to warn buyers or exchangers that it could be red or purple, and promise them if they get the wrong one they can come back to me and we'll dig up the correct one when it is in bloom. I' m sure this failing does not put me on anyone's favorite gardener list.

My memory fails me here too, but I think this is the golden marjoram I bought last year which is doing beautifully. I can't say I used it much in the kitchen, but it is very attractive in the garden.